Backpack

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The backpack allows you to save sprites, sounds, backdrops, and just about anything you make in Scratch as a resuable asset. Backpack objects can be used in other projects, so that you don't have to create the same asset multiple times. In this movie, see how to use the backpack in Scratch to reuse assets, and how to use those assets in other projects.

- [Voiceover] Let's say you wanted to take something…that you've made a change to for example,…and use it in another project.…Let's look at how that works right here.…So I'm going to create a new sprite from the library…and let's go to bananas,…so I'll select the bananas and then I'll click OK…and there are some bananas right there.…Now let's say I wanna make 'em a different color,…I wanna make 'em brown bananas…and then I wanna save that cause I wanna use it…in a different project and also…I wanna make 'em a little bit bigger…so I'll click the Grow button,…click on the bananas a few tmes,…then we have the large bananas right there…and then I'll go over the Costumes…and I'm now in vector mode…and so I wanna change the color of the bananas…so I'm going to click on this Color a Shape button…and then I'm gonna click on Brown…and then change the bananas to be brown.…

So now we have some brown bananas…and so I wanna recycle these…and use these in another project that I'm working on,…maybe you're making a game…and you've made the brown bananas…

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Author

Released

4/26/2016

Scratch is an up-and-coming introductory programming language. Developed by students at MIT, Scratch allows users to create web animations, games, and interactive stories, all without a single line of code. Originally intended for kids ages 8–16, Scratch's web-based platform is ideal for educators who want to incorporate programming in the classroom, and adult students who want to learn a visual language before progressing to code. Todd Perkins, author of Programming for Non-Programmers, shows how to use Scratch to create simple web projects and teach yourself basic programming concepts along the way.

He starts with demonstrating how to create your first project and gather the artwork (aka sprites) and other assets you'll need to build it. Todd then reviews the prebuilt scripts, the bits of code that control the logic of your Scratch projects, and explains how to use the different script types for different functions, such as animating sprites, responding to events such as button clicks, and comparing values. In chapter 3, he covers costumes, and in chapter 4, he shows how to load and play sounds. Finally, he shows how to put it all together into a complete web game, which you can then share with the Scratch community.

Topics include:

What is Scratch?

Creating your first project

Choosing a backdrop for your application

Creating sprites (reusable graphics) in Scratch

Working with scripts: animating objects, responding to events, and checking logic